1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic transducer employed for an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and so forth.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the medical field, various types of ultrasonic diagnostic apparatuses have been proposed in conventional art wherein information regarding living body tissue is obtained by transmitting an ultrasonic wave toward the living body tissue from an ultrasonic transducer, and also receiving a reflected wave reflected by the living body tissue with the same ultrasonic transducer as the ultrasonic transducer which transmitted the ultrasonic wave, or another ultrasonic transducer provided in another member to perform signal processing for making an image.
Examples of ultrasonic transducers employed for such an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and so forth include an ultrasonic transducer employing the electronic scanning method wherein a plurality of piezoelectric devices are arrayed regularly. With this ultrasonic transducer, many piezoelectric devices are disposed in a row, and each of the piezoelectric devices is electrically connected with a signal wire extending from an ultrasonic observation apparatus. Electrical connection between the piezoelectric device and the signal wire is performed through a wiring substrate or lead wire.
For example, with the array ultrasonic probe disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Application Publication No. 4-19858, a flexible substrate on which a plurality of substrate electrodes are printed so as to be arrayed with generally the same interval as the array interval of piezoelectric transducers is employed, and the substrate electrodes of this flexible substrate and each of the piezoelectric transducers are electrically connected by adhesion.
Also, with the method for manufacturing an ultrasonic probe disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2502685, flexible electrical terminals and a flexible substrate on a curved member are connected one on one for each channel using a wire such as a gold wire or the like by means of wire bonding or the like.
Further, with Japanese Patent No. 3248924, the method for manufacturing an ultrasonic probe having excellent ultrasonic transducer properties is disclosed wherein a signal electrode and a lead wire are electrically connected, and incised to form each piezoelectric device while maintaining a piezoelectric material and a flexible printed circuit substrate in a parallel or generally parallel state.